Why do lightly populated MMORPGs have multiple servers?

When a game like Silkroad Online has like 10 servers, it makes sense. All 10 servers are almost always full to the point of having to try connecting multiple times before getting in. Heck, Silk Road needs more servers if anything. Games like Maplestory, Atlantica Online and Conquer Online also need all the servers they’re incredibly popular MMORPGs with more and more players signing up to them each day. It makes sense when popular games have multiple servers to prevent overcrowding, but what ticks me off is when a game with an incredibly low playerbase has boatloads of servers. It just doesn’t make sense!

Games like Deicide Online and Rose Online have multiple servers when in reality they should only have one. What’s the point of fragmenting an already small population? MMORPGs are only fun because they’re interactive. Players like to interact with each other, but that becomes increasingly difficult when a game with a low playerbase has multiple servers. Heck even mmorpg games that have moderately sized communities like Luminary: Rise of the Goonzu and Archlord would benefit by combining their servers into one larger server. I’m not arguing that every game should have one gigantic server, as that could result in hardware related issues and incredible amounts of overcrowding, but I am arguing that games with only a handful of players would only benefit by combining their many servers into one large one. One of my many complaints with Deicide Online was that the game has a ridiculously small population, and that was a turn off for me. Sure the game had a boat load of other problems, but having a low population hurt it the most as games with little players also tend to have lame PvP systems and economies as without players there simply is no PvP or commerce in the game world.

The fact is there is a purpose for multiple servers as it prevents overcrowding and keeps pings low, but far too many lightly populated MMORPGs have more than servers than they need to the point of hurting their playerbase. I’d like to see all servers on all but the most populated MMORPGs to consolidate into a handful of servers rather than a dozen or so empty ones.